Dear Mark: Raw Eggs
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A glassful of raw eggs incites mixed reactions for many of us. It’s routine for some and revulsion for others. Commonly associated with bodybuilders and boxers (the Rocky scene) who want to bulk up, a lot of folks who fit neither category include them on a regular basis for simple nutritional reasons. However, there’s more to the picture, as this reader’s email suggests.
Dear Mark,
I have searched the site to see if there is any pros/cons of eating raw eggs. I know in the past, CW says that eating raw eggs can create a biotin deficiency in our bodies. I like having a couple of raw eggs in my whey protein drink after a workout. Do you have any information that would be helpful in the use of raw eggs?
Eggs in general are a nutritional (and wholly Primal!) powerhouse with impressive supplies of selenium, iodine, phosphorus, molybdenum, choline, lutein, vitamins A, B2, B5, B12, E, D and K. Add to this a healthy 5.5 grams of protein, 20% of your RDA for tryptophan and essential fatty acids. But what’s the specific draw to raw eggs?
A lot of folks choose to eat raw eggs because some nutrients can be diminished by heating. (Although this is true of cooking just about anything, cooking also makes certain nutrients more bioavailable – hence the constant pull and push between the raw foodists and traditional cooks.) Some people feel any change in the chemical structure is to be avoided. Others don’t. Although some vitamins (like vitamins C, B6 and B9) are more fragile and lose potency during heating (the more/longer heat, the more loss), other nutrients are enhanced. As reader Tuscoyote noted in the forum a few months ago, researchers have found that egg protein is more bioavailable when heated. (Thanks for the NPR link, Tuscoyote!) Here’s the study referenced in that interview. The study showed that egg protein is more digestible (94% versus 55-64%) when heated, probably due to alteration of the protein’s structure and the ability of digestive enzymes to infiltrate peptide bonds. Whether you eat your eggs heated or raw (or a little of both) in part depends on your goal in eating them to begin with.
As for drawbacks, there’s the well-circulated salmonella risk, which isn’t the dire prospect it’s often made out to be. The risk has been estimated as 1 in 10,000 (CDC) or 1 in 30,000 (Risk Analysis journal). And though washing eggshells can reduce much of the risk, it doesn’t eliminate it entirely. Salmonella can be present in the yolk due to infection in the hen’s reproductive tissue.
Of course, not all eggs are created equal when it comes to salmonella or nutrition. Not only are organic, free range eggs more nutrient-dense, one study found them to be significantly less contaminated than battery cage hens. Hens that graze and eat a natural diet as well as have more space to roam (to avoid living in feces) are naturally healthier. While the survey determined a quarter of battery cage groups to be contaminated, only 5% of those that were both organic and free range showed contamination. (Free-range, non-organic came up at 6.5%.) Simple refrigeration can keep any salmonella bacteria from multiplying, which minimizes the risk of actual illness from contaminated eggs. In those who are very young, pregnant or immune-compromised, salmonella risk is more of a consideration.
As you mention, eating raw eggs carries the eventual risk of a biotin deficiency. Although egg yolk is actually a rich source of biotin, the white contains avidin, a glycoprotein that bonds with biotin, preventing the nutrient’s absorption. Avidin is generally inactivated when cooked, which makes the biotin in the yolk fully available for absorption by the body. You don’t have to rule out raw eggs by any means. I wouldn’t advise eating them daily for long stretches of time without a biotin supplement (supported within a B-complex intake, since these vitamins work synergistically). If you’re eating them just a few times a week, the risk for deficiency isn’t as great, but I would still do a supplement or at least make sure I was getting a hefty amount of biotin rich food (swiss chard, tomatoes, carrots, liver and others) the days I eat raw eggs. As a compromise, some folks will just eat the raw yolks alone and cook up the whites later.
All that said, raw eggs can be part of your Primal fare. (There are advantages to cooked eggs, but it’s however you enjoy them.) If you like raw eggs, I’d say have at it – with the above info in mind. If you would rather cook them, I’d suggest going easy on the heat to avoid overcooking. Some folks suggest choosing cooking methods that leave the egg yolk intact and soft (like sunny side up or poached) because of concerns about oxidizing the cholesterol. I’m not too concerned about the small amount that might result from my breakfast routine. For myself, I take a middle road (mostly for taste). Sometimes I do my omelets, but just as often these days I’ll poach them so the egg white is cooked and yolk runny. Just had two for breakfast in fact.
Let me know your take on raw versus runny versus fully cooked. For those who go raw or not, how do you eat them? Thanks for all your questions and comments, and keep ‘em coming!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
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I love eggs. I eat them raw in my protein shake. I fry them for lunch. I make custards with them for dessert. Cooked or raw, you can’t go wrong.
I start my mornings with a semi primal coffee. I’ve always been a cream and sugar coffee drinker so here’s my coffee. I heat up some eggs still in the shell in a pan with water to about 140 degrees, then drop in the 2 eggs and a few extra egg whites into a vitamix blender set on the lowest speed. bring some milk to a boil in the microwave and add it with some instant coffee and a little agave nectar and a tbsp or so of extra virgin coconut oil for flavor. Not entirely primal but so good.
I am wondering about oxidized cholesterol with the boil milk and yolks but I don’t think I’ll find an answer to that one.
I’ve been researching eggs in general because my father has had a couple of strokes and has atrial fibrilation and someone said to feed him lots of eggs. He has avoided them for years because of the so-called cholesterol dangers. What I found is that among many nutrients, eggs are an excellent source of the amino acid, Taurine, which is very good for heart function (especially irregular heartbeat) and helps prevent strokes. When I shared this info with my mom, she said her friend’s father lived to 110 years old and drank 10 raw eggs blended with orange juice every single day. Even if you wouldn’t attribute his longevity to eggs, at the very least you could see that he couldn’t have had any significant biotin deficiency and there were obviously no cholesterol dangers associated with the eggs- especially that many eggs and for so long.
I primarily eat them in a scramble or sunny side up_ but this post makes me curious about raw eggs. I might whip up a pwo shake and crack some in.
My cousin used to just crack them straight into his mouth… Now that’s primal.
Mark, great post. Very interesting. Thanks for helping to shed some light on this issue.
I eat eggs every day. I’ve actually been doing the ADEAD (a dozen eggs a day) that you suggested in the ‘How to Lose Fat and Build Muscle’ post. It’s going really well. I like to eat them throughout the day all different ways. The best I’ve found are the ’sunny side up’. They have a little bit of the raw goodness but the whites are mostly cooked…m-m-m-m-m eggy!
I think variety is the key here. Thanks for the information Mark!
I agree- variety is the spice of life! but i usually eat my eggs over easy to neutralize the avidin in the whites and not damage the cholesterol in the yolks!
The liver can then recognize the cholesterol (if yolk is raw) and produce less of its own natural cholesterol, which places less stress on the body.
I also love my hemp, chlorella, & nuts for protein too!
how about you?
The Cavebrother and I go through 35-40 eggs a week. Once or twice a week I put a couple in a shake. I didn’t know most of this… but it seems like I’m doing it right. Hooray for me.
I cook 2 eggs sunny side up on medium heat using about 20 grams of pasture butter in a small pan. Only cook them until the white is half done (mostly uncooked on top).
Then slide them onto a warm plate and pour the molten butter on the top of the egg white to cook the rest of the egg white. The yolk will stay almost uncooked.
Best of both worlds I think. Raw yolk and cooked whites.
Plus the liquid butter together with egg tastes phenomenal.
That, plus a 1/4 avocado and a hand full of raw spinach makes the perfect breakfast.
I pasteurize my eggs for putting in shakes. I’ve read that this increases the level of protein digested to that of cooked eggs and eliminates the biotin issue. The eggs also last longer in the fridge. Although I tend to go through them in a week anyway.
I love my eggs. Did the raw thing a couple of times, but I prefer lightly scrambled and/or sunny side up. My family keep telling me I eat to many because of mainstream nutrition “fact”. I just laugh and continue to eat about six a day.
If I’m cooking, the eggs are lightly fried in butter over low heat and covered. This cooks the white and spares the yolk.
If I’m going raw, I toss the white and fill a glass with five or six yolks. Maybe sprinkle a bit of black pepper, then down the hatch.
don’t forget about pickled eggs! I put some peeled hard-boiled eggs in with beets. In a couple days you have some lovely purple eggs to slice up for the big ass salad.
Rotating protein sources is important to keep away food allergies. Peanuts, shellfish, strawberries, chocolate, wheat, eggs and dairy are some of the more antigenic (irritating) foods, whereas rice is not that antigenic.
An elimination and reintroduction diet is an excellent way to determine allergies but it takes time, discipline and attention to detail.
Dude,
After going 25+ years of not eating eggs, they are (back?) in my diet – which you get a partial thanks for.
Scrambled with meat, plenty of veggies, a couple dashes of sriracha sauce, and maybe some sweet potatoes make for a most satisfying breakfast!
I like eggs. While I have eaten them raw, I never found them to taste as good that way. I usually eat them as an omelet or cooked over-easy in bacon grease. Yum!
The study on raw egg protein available was done on five ileostomy patients. Are there other studies that show the same thing but studied people in good health? Perhaps those patients were not adapted to raw eating or perhaps their condition skewed the results.
Actually these studies are best done on ileostomy patients, which is why it is sometimes very difficult to do a good bioavailability study. The idea is to distinguish between digestion and absorpiton by the human (via stomach and small intestine) vs. digestion / fermentation by its gut flora (in the large intestine). This cannot really be done while the large intestine is still hooked up.
Primatologist Richard Wrangham explains these studies in his latest book, “Catching Fire,” which describes some of the research on how nutritional bioavailability of certain foods may be increased by cooking (particularly meats, eggs and starchy roots).
http://books.google.com/books?id=RekfQAAACAAJ
I like my yolks soft/runny, hmm so creamy~
I dont’ like egg white in general…but I hate to waste, so I eat them anyways, but definitely cooked.
My six hens are giving me 4 eggs a day! Hopefully soon I will get 6 a day. I usually eat them fried in butter with with a runny yolk. I also hard boil some to take with me on the go.
Wow … I’d really like to try a raw egg, but it just looks so creepy! I’ll have to try one in a shake sometime. I cook my eggs pretty well … I like them crispy. But I will try to get used to them on the softer side. Thanks for the great post!
Rusty, what do you feed your chickens? I’d like to raise some, but I’m not so sure that they need to eat grain. I know left to their own devices, they eat bugs. But if I want 4-5 in my backyard, what’s the best way to do it?
I recently decided to lightly whip a raw egg in a fancy champagne glass and down it. It was a wonderful experience that I will repeat over and over. As a woman on the go it’s a breakfast that can’t get any easier!
Cooked eggs make me feel sick to my stomach. I eat raw yolks just fine.
I have been eating between 6-10 eggs everyday for the last 3 years. Just started using coconut oil for the scrambling!
I love eggs.
Charles Poliquin,a trainer of elite athletes wrote that hot tap water running over the eggs for 1 min. would eliminate the avidin issue and make the protein more bio available.I assume that is room temperature eggs.
Rusty, what do you feed your chickens? I’d like to raise some, but I’m not so sure that they need to eat grain. I know left to their own devices, they eat bugs. But if I want 4-5 in my backyard, what’s the best way to do it?
I have a small coop with a wire run. The coop has a box at the back where I can reach in and collect the eggs. They are fed laying pellets which does have grain. They are allowed to free range also and love eating bugs grass and lots of other stuff. I have seen them eat a frog before!
Anyone ever eat the shell?
I had a teammate in college who would put a whole egg, shell and all, in his protein shakes.
The shell is rich in calcium, so it certainly can’t hurt. Some people grind up the shell to use as a calcium supp.
I used to love soft boiled eggs, now i love raw egg yolks, I eat the yolks with a bowl of raw cultured (fermented) cream – usually kefir cream. It’s just like custard – and full of amazing fat. so satiating as well. I save up the egg whites, and usually cook them for my mum as i don’t care for egg whites much, but im thinking next time i might try and make meringues with stevia
Between myself, hubby, and the little sprouts in our home we go through at least seven dozen eggs a week – and that’s just breakfast. In general, they’re scrambled.
When I’m pregnant or want to boost milk supply for a nursing Grokling, I make a shake with two raw egg yolks in it daily (I just can’t do the whites raw).
I also love the raw yolk in steak tartare. That’s a tasty dish!
I like eggs cooked in any form, mainly poached. I very rarely eat raw eggs, maybe 3-4 times a year.
Organic eggs taste better.
I have chickens, and second the above comment that organic eggs taste better. There is a clear difference between the egg yolks in eggs from my chickens, and those bought at the store. They’re much deeper yellow, and a lot creamier.
If you’re eating homegrown eggs raw, please make sure that you’re thoroughly washing the shells of the eggs first, because they can contain loads of microorganisms.
I’ll pass on the raw eggs. I like to cook eggs sous vide so that the yolks are runny and the whites are like soft custard.
I eat about three eggs a day. I cook two of them (scrambled or fried with the yolks runny), and the third I crack into my hand, let the white run out, and swallow the yolk whole.
I make a Jay Robb chocolate egg mocha a few times a week. Frozen banana, water, one farm raised organic egg, ice, 1oz heavy cream, 1 tsp instant coffee, 1 scoop whey protein powder. Mix in blender, I use the Bella mixer (like the Bullet) and it tastes like a super smooth frappe from the old days.
I toss a raw egg from my own backyard chickens into a smoothie a couple times per week. Usually, I gently fry in butter or make a tasty veggie scramble.
Eggs are amazing. I eat them everyday.
As a kid, I always loved to eat my eggs Sunny Side up. I guess it’s true that we instinctively know what to eat when we’re younger.
I eat them scrambled every once and a while, but I can’t resist a classic.
An article from Dr. Mercola discussing raw eggs. Hope the link works!
Important Update on Eating Raw Eggs
add a little nutmeg, coconut milk and vanilla and you’ve got some egg nog.
I personally eat my eggs cooked. I enjoy an omelet filled with veggies 3 times a week. I cook on low to medium heat and leave the yolk runny. This makes for a perfect breakfast. A green smoothie beforehand makes it completely perfect of course!
I read this great article on eggs a while back from dr.Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/09/raw-eggs.aspx
there’s a couple of other articles on eggs there too.
I think I read something about eating the egg whole – both yoke and whites eliminated the deficiency issue – but I can’t be sure if it was completely – or to a minor point (which might be significant if one east a great deal of eggs a day)
Eggs are great
Everyday for the last 18 months my breakfast has been a smoothie consisting of: 4 (even 5 or 6 if in strength/size mode) whole raw free range eggs, frozen mixed berries, coconut cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, water.
Just this week I also started adding some psyllium husks & chia seeds – a bit of extra fibre to accomodate increased caloric intake through heavy strength phase.
I know I should use more variety – I do for other meals – but damn, this smoothie is delicious! I never get sick of it, and clearly have no allergic tendencies to the raw eggs.
Have given this recipe to several friends/family/clients too, and all feedback has been positive.
Raw eggs gets 2 thumbs up from me.
But some Biotin supps you say?….will look into that.
After a bad experience with raw egg as a child (I drank one thinking it was orange juice – I know, better for me, but not what I was expecting), I just recently started eating eggs again. I’m sticking with cooked for now.
I’ve been eating a lot of duck eggs lately because my brother and his family have a pet duck that lays like crazy. I don’t know what they feed her, but the yolks are huge and golden, almost twice the size of the chicken egg yolks. I’ve been frying them in a pan with some salsa, leaving the yolk a little runny. Delicious.
I have been eating raw eggs for about a year now. I always purchase free-range, organic eggs and wash the shell with water and grapefruit seed extract.
I sometimes have raw egg with orange juice, but I don’t think I can have them by themselves
I’ll have three eggs over easy, cooked in coconut oil with a dab of hot sauce on top.
Oh, and a cup of coffee.
Separate check from all these other folks, please.
Re duck eggs – be cautious about eating these raw as they have a porous shell which means that they’re more likely to be contaminated. Fine to eat cooked.
Goose and turkey aggs are good too.
Anyone tried ostrich eggs? Now that would be a good find for Grok.
I like to add hard boiled eggs to salads. (but not ostrich, obviously!)
Last week, I tried a whey protein shake with raw egg, vanilla and frozen berries. Mmmmh, it was delicious! I like them more and more. Half a year ago, when I made the transition from low carb to PB I needed about 10 eggs, a week. Now this is not enough: 15 – 20 ! I just recognize: The more eggs I eat, the better I feel
Thanks Mark. Not much out there on eggs. I wonder if anybody has some info on what type of eggs to buy at the store. I know the best way is to get them from a local farm you have visited but until I get around to do that, How can I trust that the cage-free eggs were fed quality food; and that the free-range eggs, were not merely given a ten minute window with an open door to the barn?
I love eggs, especially lightly poached in vinegar and then with crumbled blue cheese on top. Divine.
Here’s a favorite egg dish I haven’t seen mentioned yet:
Brown 1 lb. hamburger
Add 1 box organic tomato soup
Add Italian spices
Bring to a slow boil
Poach some eggs in it
o_O CW must be crying out: “You are killing yourself, no more than 2 whole eggs a week… cholesterol will kill you” lol
hi, dear all,
in singapore,for breakfast ,
we enjoy softboil egg, some where in between raw and cook….
one day 5 softboil egg
one day 5 egg omelete
hehe
Raw eggs is the only way I will eat them.
Even as a baby I refused egg flavored food and despise eggs.
Only in a protien shake can I have raw eggs, so that is how I started doing it. Cooked eggs alone? No.
Sadly this limits me as 85% of all breakfasts in business or anything include eggs. Funny sometimes that nobody expects someone may not like them.
I eat raw in smoothies 2-3 times during the week (wash the shell with Veggie Wash). On the weekends, I eat huge omelettes with some combination of peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese, some kind of meat, and various seasonings according to mood. On the side is fruit and yogurt with some ground flax meal. This will hold me all day even if I am playing disc golf for 7-8 hours, on my feet the entire time. Pretty much all ingredients are organic and/or free-range.
You guys need to check out Egg Whites International:
100% pasteurized liquid egg whites that are tasteless, mix great with protein powder, and are truly safe to eat.
http://www.eggwhitesint.com
I buy them in gallon containers.
I’ve read recently that raw yolks contain so much biotin that even if raw egg white binds some of it, there’s enuff leftover to take care of any deficiency. I suppose you can find at research to support both views. What makes sense to me (evolutionarily speaking) is that Mr and Mrs Caveman, if/when they found some bird eggs, probably would not have waited to arrive at the homestead and make an omelet, but would have eaten it right then and there as a delicacy.
I add an egg or two (raw) to my protein shakes, and during the week also eat cooked eggs.
If you eat raw eggs, do NOT eat the whites (gross!), only the yolk.
Here is info on the benefits of raw egg yolk:
http://www.13.waisays.com/egg-yolk.htm
Enjoy!
Whites are not gross to everyone my dear.
Hey. I’m so glad I found this site. I just recently started drinking 42 eggs per week. And I feel awsome! I’m a weight lifter. And I feel so much stronger and energetic. But can someone tell me if I’m over doing it? Am I harming my body cholesterol-wise? Or anyother way? Please let me know. E-mail me at socalpolarbear88@gmail.com thanks!
What a great website! Lots of info! Question: Can someone tell me definitively if eat ting the whole egg raw is better than eating just the yolk raw, cholesterol-wise and biotin-wise? I eat them raw for the protein, but my Doc told me I need to lower my count last week. I don’t think it’s high because of the eggs, tho’.
Thanks.
Excellent post, I just bought your cookbook and can’t wait for it to ship. Keep up the great work. Thanks!
Raw or undercooked eggs have been associated with outbreaks of Salmonella. Definitely not worth the risk!
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/salment_g.htm
6 omega-3 eggs spinach omelet for breakfast every morning!
if i do go raw i eat the yolks raw and then cool the whites (=
Hi…I am female, drink a whey shake daily with one raw egg added. To avoid a possible biotin deficiency, can I just add one extra yolk and save the whites for cooking omlets? Thanks to anyone who can let me know if this is a good/bad idea. shirl
redhead@wickedred.com
ps.big fan of Mark’s